HIV patients think there's a cure

24th September 2007

A specialist has warned that a false belief among young HIV patients that the virus can be cured is fuelling a rise in infection levels.

Dr Veerakathy Harindra, director at Portsmouth’s genito-urinary medicine clinic, says between 20% and 25% of the young people he sees believe they can be cured of HIV leading them to fail to take adequate precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. The news comes as drug company Merck halted trials on an HIV vaccine regarded as one of the most promising in the fight against AIDS, after it was judged to be ineffective.